Anna Nicole Smith has been dead too long. The media has wrung just about all they could out of the life (and death) story of her miserable D-List celebrity. Americans had lost interest in her tragic/farcial end. We’d moved on.
However, have no fear. Our media mavens will be spared the indignity of actually covering really important stuff, like say Iraq, Iran, Global Warming, the US Attorney Purge scandal or the Walter Reed Hospital Mistreatment Malfunction, because, to their eternal gratitude, no doubt, a 37 year old man in Michigan has allegedly killed his wife, cut her body into pieces and then fled the police in freezing temperatures across snow laden fields until his capture earlier today:
MOUNT CLEMENS, Michigan (AP) — A man suspected of killing and dismembering his wife was captured Sunday as he fled searchers, running through snow in northern Michigan, police said.
Stephen Grant had been the subject of a manhunt since police discovered what they believe to be the torso and other body parts of his wife, Tara Lynn Grant, in and around the couple’s house in a suburb of Detroit.
Now I know some of you may find this disgusting, but let’s face the truth. These are the kinds of stories our tabloid style journalists and broadcasters do best. It has all the essential elements of a story the media will latch onto for dear life for the next year or so.
First, its salacious.
Second, it involves a murder of a white woman (we all know murdered women of color don’t qualify for this type of obsessive media attention).
Third, it requires no particular expertise or specialized knowledge on the part of the print or TV reporters to tell the story. Any loon with a radio or television gig can safely opine about the seamy details without fear.
Fourth, it will detract attention from other stories that might cause a certain Republican President (and Vice President) to get very angry with the liberal bias of the press corps. Which is just as well, since the corporate media bosses who determine which stories get aired would prefer not to piss off Republicans, even if they did lose Congress.
Fifth, it will boost ratings! Which, as we all know is the sine qua non of the infotainment business in the 21st Century.
The only thing better would be if the alleged killer was named Simpson (Scott or OJ, it doesn’t really matter). But then, that would only make our esteemed media personalities look even more moronic, vampirish and venal than they already appear, as night after night they fill the airwaves with their endless bloviating on the day’s trivial developments in the case.
Nonetheless, be prepared to hear the name “Tara Lynn Grant” repeatedly uttered from the porcine lips of Joe Scarborough, Bill O’Reilly, John Gibson, Nancy Grace, Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Brian Williams, Katie Couric, ad infinitum for the next oh, so many, many months. And rest assured, someone (Pat Robertson? Michelle Malkin? Newt Gingrich? Dineesh D’Souza?) will find a way to blame liberals for the whole sorry spectacle.
The media loves to eat up shit like this. I’m sure it is very sad for the people actually involved, but there is no need for these incidents to turn into the national media spectacles that they become.
My $.02.
I’d posit that Ms. Grant’s demise will be covered in direct proportion to her youth and attractivenss quotients.
I mean really, when has the media granted precious screen/print/air time to the death, or life, of “fat old broads” of any ethnicity?
It’s been non-stop coverage here in SE Michigan since the husband reported her missing. Front page on both daily newspapers, top of the hour on every newscast. In other words, sickening – and all the while it limited coverage on the more important things like the number of Michigan residents losing their jobs, the high rates of home foreclosures & bankruptcies, the lack of medical insurance by a large percentage of the population, let alone what is going on in the wider world.
I can’t understand why CNN radio news repeatedly has this salacious story in a 5 minute top of the hour newscast. It is most unfortunate for those involved but hardly of national import. Since ratings are the only thing that matter in commercial broadcast networks, I suppose we have reached the lowest common denominator of info-tainment. I immediately turn my radio off when this story is covered. Even the lilting voice of one particular CNN radio news broadcaster comes across as light and offhand rather than serious.
If I am flipping through channels and I see one of these sensational stories, I know it is on all the news stations. They seem to time them. I turn off the television.
I’ve already lost interest. Let’s move on to the next big thing.
it will boost ratings!
is there any evidence to support this? have you noticed that these stories rarely rise to the top of Google News? and even when they do these stories are only there for a few hours?
is it just possible that these stories are not good for ratings.
advertisiers hate such stories, seriouly, if you read Advertising Age, AdWeek or Brand Week, you can see criticism of this sort of editorial malpractice. I mean who wants to advertise their product near that?
Really? Good for advertisers if that’s true. As for ratings, I’m basing that on the past ratings engendered by the Simpson cases, Jon Benet Ramsey, etc. If Americans have gotten bored with these stories maybe someone should tell the media.
This crime happened about 10 miles from my lifelong home, and the body parts found in an incredibly quiet little park. It’s a really quiet community (except for the M&M house, but that’s a totally different story…)and the crime so weird (even to the capture of the husband in a state park, barefoot in below zero temperatures) that it will make a made-for-TV movie for sure. It’s actually far more newsworthy than a poor, confused starlet wannabe who dies of drug overdose.
And yes, we won’t hear about war, the erosion of the constitution, the great purge of federal prosecutors, or anything else newsworthy for weeks.
Thanks for the warning. TV…off.
I haven’t read this — but what is it doing…here?
What in the world are you doing?
I’m mocking the media.
doncha think you are helping to promote the story by nagging at its promotion?
just a thought.
Well, if Booman Tribune was one of the bigger blogs in blogtopia I suppose that would be true. However, I doubt my post here will add anything to how cable news treats this story.
Well, I suppose there are little pockets of hope in the media. My local station (well, 55 miles away) didn’t mention it until well into their 6 a.m. broadcast. They did, however, start with both the Afghan civilian bombing and the Walter Reed story.
But, yes, I am staying away from the major media channels. Oh – and I just caught the beginning of The Early Show: Obama/Hillie 1st (“Showdown in Selma” – puke), Walter Reed 2nd, Murder 3rd…
Okay, TV off…